Crappie Magnet Hammer
by Terry Madewell
Crappies are targeted year-round, but when the calendar flips to February, hardcore crappie anglers get slab-excited. The papermouths may still be in deep water, and may not always be wildly active, but ‘the southern pre-spawn journey is coming.
The pre-spawn migration from deep water to the spawning areas triggers tremendous angler anticipation because slabs become more vulnerable, are on the move, and are reasonably predictable.
Crappie fishermen often employ full-bodied lures to tempt these bigger fish. Crappie Magnet has developed a lure that embraces a weakness of many slabs during pre-spawn: a big-bodied plastic bait with extraordinary action and significant water displacement, enabling anglers to hammer these slabs.
That makes the Crappie Magnet appropriately named “Hammer” the February CrappieNOW Lure of the Month.
Jason Sealock, a pro-staffer for Crappie Magnet, said the lure is productive year-round, but the Hammer nails the big-meal appetite preference of pre-spawn crappie.
“The lure design is all-encompassing. It provides anglers a lure that works year-round, depending on the scenario,” Sealock said. “The Hammer was designed by accomplished crappie fisherman Brandon Smith specifically as a lure with a larger profile to tempt pre-spawn crappie and be more effective in muddy or dirty water. Brandon deals with muddy water conditions frequently, and this lure produces extremely well in both scenarios.”
At two-and-3/8th inches long, the Hammer is longer than many plastics.
“Patterned off the Crappie Magnet lure, the head of the lure has a larger profile with deeper ridges right on through the tail,” Sealock said. “These ridges push more water, creating extra vibration, and the split tail design adds even more action and vibration. These factors were crucial for Brandon’s design, making it easier for crappie to find in muddy water.
“As a side note, these lures have produced well for me on smallmouth bass, catfish and other species, a signal that the Hammer is a lure all fish find appealing,” added Sealock. “Plus, I’ve enjoyed excellent results in clean and clear water, so the Hammer isn’t made just for dirty water, but it does excel in that scenario.”
Sealock said pairing the Hammer with the Brandon Smith Eyehole Hammer Head in 1/8th- or 3/16th-ounce sizes creates an ideal combination.
“The Crappie Magnet Hammer Head pairs perfectly with this body, and the jighead helps increase water displacement, improves action, and enables anglers to employ scent with Slab Bites as another layer of appeal,” he said.
The lure can be fished in multiple ways, but one of Sealock’s favorites is a vertical presentation to fish the spots he finds roaming open water using forward-facing sonar.
“I prefer a 13-foot-rod, and I’ll drop the lure vertically to crappie, as well as work it toward them and then stop it just above or right at eyeball level,” he said. “In February, it can take multiple pitches to get bit, but a slab is just as likely to swim up to and gulp it down on the first pass.”
Sealock fishes throughout the country, but Kentucky Lake is his home water. He said when water temperatures start warming in February, the crappies are looking for an easy, large meal.
“We don’t often ice up at Kentucky Lake, and 2024 was a milder winter,” he said. “But we did a couple of years ago, and the first day after the ice melted, in February, we were out in Jonathan Creek and found huge crappie a couple of feet under the surface, suspended over a channel 20 feet deep. It was the best day of big crappie I’ve experienced, and I will be on the water with the Hammer doing the same thing this year.”
A lure that works well in cold or warm water and produces slabs in muddy, dingy, or clear water is a must-try for my pre-spawn fishing.
Terry Madewell of Ridgeway, S.C. has been an outdoor communicator for 50 years. He holds a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Management and has a long career as a professional wildlife biologist/natural resources manager. He’s passionate about sharing outdoor adventures with others.
